Making axle housings



Nov. 15, 1932 UR JR 1,887,494

MAKING AXLE HOUS INGS Filed Feb. 23. 1927 INVENTOR A TTORNE'Y Patented Nov. 15, 1932 UNITED STATES T? Q F C f;

THOMAS E. MURRAY, JR, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, Assn-ra onTo METROPOLITAN ENGINEERING COMPANY,

A cO roRA'rIOnonn'nwyo n 1 I MAKING. AXLE i nousmes Application filed February 28, 1927.

In my Patent No. 1,492,930, Reissue No. 16,691, I have described the production of axle housings from sheet metal pieces blanked in certain economical ways out of commercial sheets or strips and welded together along their edges. The present invention provides an improvement in axle housings and the like which may be made by the method of the aforesaid patent and by other methods. The accompanying drawing illustrates an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan showing the economical cutting of the parts from a commercial strip;

Fig. 2 is a plan of two of such parts welded together to make a complete flat blank Fig. 3 is a plan of a blank bent up to seg mental shape;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of Fig. 3 on the line 4-4; I

Fig. 5 is a plan, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a complete housing;

Fig. 7 is an enlargement of the center of Fig. 6 with the lower part in section;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view-of a reinforcing ring. r

In the specific form of the invention illustrated, I start with a. commercial sheet or strip 1, Fig. 1, of metal and stamp out of it a number of half blanks 2. in alternately reversed transversely overlapping positions. A pair of such half blanks are then placed end to end as in Fig. 2 and butt welded together along the transverse joint 3. The finished blank has an intermediate portion 4. and two end portions 5 at the outer ends of which are laterally enlarged portions 6, and has also certain lateral projections 7 at the ends of the intermediate portion 4.

To out such a complete blank from a commerical strip or sheet involves heavy scrap losses. These are much reduced by cutting out each blank in parts which are afterwards fastened together. By making each blank of two parts, with a transverse joint 3 across the central portion, obtained in the fini.hed housing. as hereinafter shown.

The flat blank of Fig. 2 is converted by a bending and drawing operation. or operations, 1nto the segmental blank of Figs. 3 and semi-circular end portions 10.

certain advantages are 1 half-lengths of Serial Hanan?) 4 with a central annular 'portionj8 bent in ward at the edges to form flanges 9andwith Two such segments are shown brought together in final position in Fig. 6 forming the axle housing with the central annular portion 11 bent inward at its .sides and the tubular end portions 12 extending in opposite tions therefrom. .The segments are welded together along the length ofithe tubular portions to form joints 13, and; transversely direcacros'sthe central ortion by.; the1original.

welded joint 3. "All thesejointsare prefer-L ably butt welds, the flash or extruded-metal being trimmed ofl' as as necessary.

'A flanged re nforc ng ring may h e embraced within theannulus -11 to steady parts during the. welding. operation, to form V a continuous integral strengthening ring and .tofstifienthe flanges 9 and thicken them for better reception of bolts. am i ha -I Fig. 7 at 14, with flanges l5flocated within the flanges 9. The two flangeshave registering bolt holes '16 and 17 respectively. The

' Such aring,'for longltud nal section 1nweb of the ring 14 extends integrally across the joints 3 and has openings 18 for passage of the shafts. p

The strains on the housing in practice are chiefiy'torsional. By the described method of cutting out the parts of the blank, I not. only secure diminution of scrap losses, but at the same time bring the joints 3 at pointsfarthest removed from the longitudi-. nalaxis, where the strength of the housing against torsion is greatest.

The method may be applied with or with- V out the-integral production of the end flanges as illustrated. .These end flanges and this method of making them are the invention of Herbert H. W'lliams and are fully described and claimed in aco-pending application, Serial No. 83,331, filed January 23,

1926, now Patent No. 1,689,989. They are claimed here only in connectiongwith my method of cutting out the pieces 2 forming the'blank. It will be -observed in Fig. 1 that, as far as the extra width of the portions 6 is concerned, this is taken from what would otherwise be scrap or a' my name.

waste part of the'sheet 1. The invention may be utilized also in making the center of the housing With tubular extensions of less length, the tubes being completed by means of separate end portions such as are shown for example in Patent N o; 1,492,930, Fig. 3.

When the fiat blank of Fig. 2 is drawn and bent to the form of Fig. 3, the portions 6 are bent ,outwardand inward as at 19 and 20.

These two parts are subsequently, either in the segments or in the complete housing of Fig. 5 bent back to form the two-ply flanges 21 on the ends; which machined to exact dimensions and shape.

Various modifications in the shape of the housing or similar product, and inthe method, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the following claim.

WhatI claim is In the making of axle housings and the like, from blanks having an intermediate portion with lateral projections therefrom and end portions also with lateral projections, the method which includes cutting'out from a sheet two half lengths of such a blank, positioned so that said half lengths lie alongside of each other in the sheet with their several projections overlapping laterally, bending such blanksinto segments of the'length of the housing and welding two such segments along their. longitudinal edges, and forming the laterally projecting portions'of the ends into integral transverse flanges.

In witness, whereof, I have hereunto signed THOMAS MURRAY, JR.

may afterwards he 

